Assessment Of The Knowledge, Attitudes And Pratices Of Resuscitation Of Patients Among Radiographers During Radiological Emergencies: A Case Study Of Tertiary Hospitals In Enugu

The study was undertaken to assess the knowledge, attitude and practices of resuscitation of patients among radiographers’ during emergency cases in three tertiary hospitals in Enugu State, Nigeria. It is a descriptive cross-sectional study with the use of questionnaire to obtain information from the radiographers. The survey was carried out between March and June, 2013. This assessed the knowledge, attitude, practice of universal precaution rule and the protective measures adopted when handling a tuberculosis case. A total of 52 radiographers participated in the study. The result showed that radiographers have poor knowledge, positive attitude and good practice towards patients in need of resuscitation. From the findings, 90% of the radiographers were not satisfied with their knowledge of resuscitation. The result also shows that 96% of the respondents indicated that the department has not organized any form of training for them and  72% of the radiographers have a good attitude towards compulsory training in resuscitation. Emergency drugs and other resuscitation materials were not readily available in the department. Also the result shows that 70% of the radiographers have good attitude towards patients in need of resuscitation. Recommendations were also made in line with obvious deficiencies in knowledge.

Table 1: Age and Sex distribution of the respondents 

Table 2: Place of work and the highest educational qualifications of the respondents

Table 3: Respondents years of practice

Table 4: Respondents knowledge of resuscitation practices and emergency care

Table 5: Availability of resuscitation materials

Table 6: Respondents feeling towards patients in need of resuscitation

Table 7: Respondents reactions to handling emergency everyday

Table 8: Radiographers percentage outcome on if they follow the American Heart             Association guidelines

Table 9: Respondent’s responses on hand positions during CPR

Table 10: Respondent’s opinion on means of improving the knowledge of resuscitation practices.

Figure 1: Anatomy of the respiratory system

Figure 2: Respondents attitude to compulsory resuscitation training. 

 

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE 

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

 

         Resuscitation is one of the most evolving areas of modern medicine while cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a treatment modality aimed at preventing sudden, unexpected death in life threatening situations. 1 In 1773, physician William Hawes(1736-1808)  began publicizing the efficacy of artificial respiration to resuscitate people who superficially seem drowned.  For a year he paid a reward from his pocket to anyone bringing him bodies rescued from the water within a reasonable time of immersion. Thomas Cogan another English physician joined him later. In summer 1774, Hawes and Cogan each brought fifteen friends to a meeting where Royale Humane Society was formed.

 Insufflation also known as rescue breaths or ventilations is the act of mechanically forcing air into a patient’s respiratory system. It can be achieved by a number of methods which will depend on the situation and the equipment available 3. Serious emergencies are fortunately rare in routine radiology practice and consequently with the increasing complexity of radiological emergencies may become frequent. The most urgent complications are cardiac arrest and respiratory failure4. Cardiac arrest may be the result of any other complications or it may occur completely without warning in any department. 

The radiographer is likely to be the first medical practitioner on the scene of emergencies like contrast reactions, anaphylaxis and other common medical emergencies that occur in the department6 It is therefore essential that every radiology department should be organized and the radiographers well equipped and ready to deal with any emergency.